Into the Unknown
by MetalBlackAngel
Summary: FFVII story. Takes place about two years AFTER the game, Dirge of Cerberus
1. Prolouge

Prolouge - Into The Unknown

The unknown can scare anyone. No one knows whats there, and though they are afraid to find out, the unknown has a certain... pull to those with even a little bit of adventerous spirit in them. The unknown was what was drawing a stranger towards what was left of Midgar. Wrapped up in a thick black cloak that reached down to the feet, a twin pair of swords peeked out from the very bottom on the duster, the scabbards half an inch from the ground. Hands were incased in tight black leather gloves, and on the figure's feet were a pair of heavy and tall black leathers boots that were fastened in the front by a row of clips. Stopping at the cliff were you could look out at Midgar, the figure looked down and combed the wide desert-like area between it and the city. "It really hasn't changed that much..." The voice that came from the figure's lips was of unknown gender, muffled by the thick black cloth that covered the bottom of the face. Emerald eyes turned and, with a swish of a cloak, the figure disappeared from the cliff's edge.

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><p>Edge was a town that this person hardly knew at all. So when the figure found itself stranded, and having no idea where to go, the figure's head slowly looked around, emerald eyes watched as people passed it. The looks it was getting was starting to irritate the figure, so it sighted the nearest building and walked into it. There was someone behind the bar counter, but the figure didn't bother looking at the person, finding a secluded and dark corner to sit it. Releasing it's swords from their clasps and then proped them up in the corner. Shrugging off it's cloak, the figure reached up and relased the headcorvering that had hid the mass of sun-bright red hair that was now trumbing down to rest about waist length. Even without the jacket covering the slender frame, and the black cloth on the face, it was quite apparent now that this figure was a woman. Shifting in her seat, the red haired, emeral-eyed woman grabbed her swords and swung them over her shoulder to rest them in her lap. Digging in her pocket to pull out a oil cloth and a whetstone, un-sheathing one of the long katanas, then set to work on it.<p>

Today was supposed to be uneventful for her. She was going to pass through Edge and go on her way after getting a good night's sleep, but suddenly a feeling came over her. It was a feeling that someone she knew, or had known at some point, was coming closer. Just as she finished with her swords, replaced them in the corner, and propped her heavy-booted feet up on the table in front of her, the door to the bar opened. Concentrating on a map that covered the sight of her covered face and hair, she tuned her hearing a little as the person behind the counter, a female, spoke with laughter in her voice. "Well, you haven't changed all these years. You still got that cellphone, Vincent?" The red-head's hands tightened with a light creek of leather, just as a hot flash washed over her. That name... She hadn't heard his name in years. The last time she heard that name was over eighteen years ago. She had been told that he had died. At the memory of the man that had told her that, her right shoulder started to burn. That damnable scientest... He had lied to her!

Taking a deep breath, she lightly ruffled her map a little, not wanting to seem the red-cloaked man's presense had faded her. At the sound of the map, the woman behind the bar jumped slightly as she placed her hand on the bar-top. "I forgot that you were there. Do you need anything?" The woman's voice was a little strange, and using the 'gift' the red-head had, she deduced that woman was at least two weeks along, and didn't know it yet. Also at that instant, a shock shot down her spine. She threw her map to the side, jumped to her feet and ran at the woman, who had walked out from behind the bar, and Vincent, knocking them to the ground. She was a second too late to get herself to the ground, because at least four bullets pounded into her back. Letting out a curse that was muted because of the cloth on her face, she fell to her knees and simply passed out from the shock of the wounds, slumped over a little.

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><p>After an hour, she finally sturggled out of her shock-induced sleep, gritting at the pain coming from her back. Hands incased in finger-less gloved tied the bandages around her chest. She was still wearing her boots and pants, but her jacket and shirt was gone, everything from her shoulders down to her lower back covered in virgin bandages. The red-head was aware of two people in the room, the person who had been wrapping her up right by the bed, and then one person by the door to the... bedroom she was in. The hands that had been working on her bandages moved up to remove the cloth around her face. The red-head wanted to tell the owner of those hands to back away, but she just didn't have the enrgy to speak at the moment. She felt the cloth slid from her face, and suddenly she broke out in a cold sweat. The person near the door stand to their feet, and she instantly knew who else was in the room. With a suprizing amount of strength, she opened her eyes. Pained blurred her eyes for a minute, but when they cleared, she saw two faces. One was of a woman that she didn't know, but the other face... He was actually standing there.<p>

The red-head really didn't know what to do with herself. She stared into those all-too-familiar eyes, instantly knowing that the owner of those eyes thought she had been dead as well. After a minute, her lips worked as she summoned the energy to speak. When she did, the usual gruffness she had developed in her voice over the past eighteen years melted away. "I see... That you are still alive. Who knew?" She fell into an uneasy silence, and the silence got more heated and uneasy as he just looked at her. As if seeing the _sparks_ flashing between them, the woman spoke up. "You two know each other! Well, isn't this nice?" The red-head looked away quickly, staring up at the ceiling, taking in a shuddering breath. She closed her eyes, her hands tightening at her sides when _he_ spoke. "Tifa. Could you step out for a moment?" Tifa looked at Vincent, who had his eyes on the red-head, then to the red-head herself. "Okay..." Standing, Tifa left the room and shut the door. More silence streched on, but the uneasyness was there no longer. Maybe it was because Tifa was gone now. "Lucy."

The red-head, Lucy, took a calming breath before lowering her gaze from the ceiling, and turned her head to the right, her emeral eyes widdening a little when she saw how much closer he had come to her. "You are supposed to be dead." His voice was a little more blunt than it used to be, but she didn't mind. It made it that more interesting. "So were you... It been over eighteen years since _that_ day." The two looked at each other, and that heat flashed over her again. "D-Did you need to say something?" She had a feeling there was was a lot he wanted to say, but she sensed his hesitation to broach the subject. She almost blurted out her secret, but she bit it back when he spoke again. "No. I just wanted to make sure you were alive, real, and not just an illusion." The pain in his eyes was evident, but it was gone whe he stood to his feet. "You need rest, Lucy." She watched him as he left the room. Closing her eyes, she settled back into the bed, ignoring the pain coming from her back as she put her arm over her eyes. "Vincent..." Closing her eyes, she willed herself to sleep, squishing the fear that he would be gone when she woke up. She had a feeling he'd still be there when she would wake the next time.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One - Wandering Into The Unknown

She laid in the bed for at least two days, finally able to roll over onto her back. She knew her wounds were already perfectly healed with the barest of scars, but she would keep the bandages changed for appearences. Today, on the third day, she sighed and finally managed to sit up. She had tried to stand, but the strength went out of her quicker than she could have blinked, and she had to fall back down onto the bed. With her elbows on her knees, she rested her head in her hands, emerald eyes looking down at the floor in mild-irritation. She had never been this weak before, but then the rational part of her brain won over the irrational one. She had been asleep in bed for two days straight, so of course some of her strength wouldn't be back so soon after waking up. Just as she let out a loud sigh, Tifa walked in, holding a steaming cup of tea. "Oh! You're awake!" Walking over, the woman handed the cup to Lucy with a smile, and after hesitating for a second, Lucy took it from her. Looking into the liquid, it took her a minute to find her voice. "Is he... gone?" Glancing up, she saw a confused look flash over Tifa's face, then she smiled faintly. "He said he had something to do. But he said to call when you woke up." Tifa said the last sentece a little hurriedly, seeing something in Lucy's eyes that the woman herself had yet to feel.

Standing, Tifa watched Lucy carefull as the red-head sipped her tea. Ever since she had seen those sparks between the woman and Vincent, she had been over-taken by the sudden, rash, and stupid compulsion to ask either of the two what their shared pasts were. But then she realized that it would be foolish to do so. So for now, she would keep her mouth shut and hopefully, one day, the secrets would come out. That look that had been in Vincent eyes when he had searched Lucy's face... It had torn at Tifa deep down. She had never seen him have any deep emotion in his eyes like that. He was always such a recluse when it came to his emotions. A faint smile crossed her lips, but she covered it up with a bigger one when Lucy looked up. "Have you known him for a long time?" Seeing the sadness in the woman's eyes, Tifa carefully took the cup from Lucy, put it off to the side, then sat down beside her, placing her right hand over the woman's left. "For a few years. You know, if you say his name he won't disappear. In fact..." Tifa looked down as she tried to think of what she should say next. "I think you're afraid that if you speak his name, he'll disappear. but he won't. He is real, and saying his name won't make him disappear, it will make him that much more real."

Looking at Tifa, Lucy was silent for a long time before she spoke up. "I've thought he was dead for a long time. I've been holding out, with a very thin line of hope for these past eighteen years that he was out there somewhere... But now that I found him again, I fear that if I even blink, he'll be gone again." She dropped her gaze to the floor, her left hand tightening into a fist underneath Tifa's hand. "Are you alright?" She looked up out of the corner of her eyes to see Tifa look confused again for a second. "I forgot to thank you. How did you know?" Lucy looked back down at the floor, starting to feel her strength return to her, slowly but surely. "Just a feeling I guess. Did anyone catch the guys who did it?" Tifa shook her head and patted Lucy's hand before standing to her feet, stretching a little. "No. But that's alright." Lucy went to protest, but Tifa gave her a stern look, her hands fists on her hips. "It's alright. Really. Come on. You should get out of the bed." Lucy didn't want to get up, but the calm and gentle look on Tifa's look made her give in. A half hour later, the two finally made it downstairs. Sitting on a stood in front of the bar, her cloak draped over her shoulders to hide her bandages, Lucy watched Tifa as she picked up a phone and called _him_.

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><p>Tifa had told <em>him<em> that Lucy had woken up, and the look that had crossed her face when Vincent hung up abruptly almost made Lucy laugh. "Well... Rude, much!" Tifa shouted at the phone, and this really did make Lucy laugh. Deep down, she knew why he had been so rude to Tifa. He was just glad that she was okay. And that... made Lucy very happy. "Maybe he's just busy?" Lucy said lightly, and when she looked at Tifa, she was suprised when the woman rolled her eyes and laughed. "Please! I know why he did that. It's just a bit of a suprise, is all." Lucy could see that Tifa was _very_ interested in the relationship between Lucy and Vincent, but Lucy just wasn't ready to talk about that at the moment. "Do you have a hammer and some nails?" Tifa looked at her in confusion. "I _need_ to do _something_. I can't just sit around her while I recover." Sighing, but unwilling to argue with Lucy when the woman had that look in her eyes, she found the things needed and handed them to Lucy. Immediately, Lucy got to work patching up the holes in the wall. She was no longer in pain, but her face did contort just slightly with the stiffness in her shoulders and back. The work went on for at least three hours. Lucy had gotten a little ahead of herself, going so far as to patch the bar up in its entirety. Tifa had protested the whole time, saying that saving her life had been enough, but Lucy didn't feel that way. She had to do this, feeling as if it was her duty to help this woman, even though she was a personal stranger. She was in the back 'office' when the front door was open. With the office door closed, nothing inside that room could he heard, so she couldn't hear what was going on outside.

Out in the main part of the bar, Vincent had walked back in. Tifa was sitting an a barstool, reading a book when he came in. She lowered the book just a little, then let it fall to her lap when she saw it was him. "You're back now. That sure took a long time." The man just stood by the door, trying to look not-so-obvious when he looked around. Tifa wasn't stupid though, she knew that he was looking for Lucy. Setting her book down onto the bartop, she stretched. "Well, I'm going to go visit a friend." Walking past him, she stopped right in front of the door, her hand on the handle. "She's in the office." Walking out, she let the door shut. About two minutes later, Lucy walked out, looking down at some papers. "Tifa, what should I-" When she looked up, her eyes went straight to Vincent's, and she became acutely aware that Tifa was no longer inside. Lucy swallowed a little nervously, and used alot of her will power to look back down at the papers in her hands. The silence of the room started to press down on her, so she turned to leave. But before she could even take a step forward, her body got a shock as she felt his arms come around her, preventing her from moving. "You are real..." The tone of his voice broke her heart and she began to cry. He had changed so much over the years, and she could tell this was something that he was struggling with. His arms just tightened around her, and she just leaned against him as she cried.

Finally, the tears stopped. She felt herself turn around, and she looked up into his eyes. They had never shed a tear, but she could see something deep within those eyes. "And so are you." She searched his face for a minute, and then she leaned up without really thinking about it. She let her lips brush across his, and was going to leave it at that, but he seemed to have a different idea. He kissed her back, and so much was conveyed in it. Her eyes teared up again, then she just let herself fall into the swirl of emotion that washed over her mind. She was... happy. He was real, and nothing could change that. She would fight to keep that reality alive.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two - Exploring The Unknown

Blinking her eyes, she found herself looking into the sleeping face of Vincent. She racked her brains for how they ended up in the bed Tifa had given her, and Lucy then remembered that she had passed out just as Tifa and a blonde guy had returned. Vincent must have carried her upstairs, and she felt heat flood her face as she blushed. She could only imagine what Tifa and the blonde guy had thought about Vincent carrying her up the stairs. Sighing, she was going to start to go back to sleep when crimson eyes slowly opened and stared into hers. She felt an arm wrap around her, and her eyes widdened a little when he pulled her closer. "You see? I am still here." He whispered, and Lucy smiled then snuggled closer to him. After being apart from each other for so long, she was just happy to lay there with him, and breathe in his scent. This was a dream come true, being here with him like that.

The silence stretched out, and she could feel his hand lowly working at her braid to get it loose. Closing her eyes, she just let him go on with it. She remembered him telling her one day that he had always hated it when she put her hair up. She blushed at the memory because when he had said that... they were in bed. And here they were in bed again. Doing her best to push the thoughts away, she swallowed a little nervously when he ran his hand through her hair, fanning it out behind her. Glancing up from where she had her face pressed against his chest, she suddenly became aware that he _was not clothed!_ She blushed furiously and rubbed her face against his chest, trying her best to hide her bright blush. Yeah, she had seen him completely naked before, but it was like it was the first time, after over eighteen years since they were last _together_, all over again. She pulled back and put her hand behind her. Entwining their fingers together, she closed her eyes and brought his hand up to her lips.

She was well aware he was watching her in silence, but she didn't care. "Lucy..." She turned his hand and pressed a kiss to his wrist, feeling the pulse there, before she realized he had said her name. Blinking, she looked at him with a bright blush. "Yes...?" He went silent again, and she couldn't read him enough to know what he was thinking. Suddenly his hand was out of hers and under her chin, tilted her head back so that he could brush his lips across hers, and then along her jawline to her ear. "I have missed you, Lucy. So much that you cannot even begin to understand." She felt tears in her eyes, and then she suddenly pounced on him, knocking him onto his back and laying down on him, her head resting on his chest as she began to cry. After a minute, she felt his arms encircle her and she began to cry even more. She couldn't believe that he had never lost his feelings for her after all that time. Again she was beset by the urge to tell him her secret, but once again she held it back. She knew that she'd have to tell him eventually, but for now, she wanted to just be there, with him.

She had no idea how long she cried, but she finally sat up, stradling him as she whiped away her tears. In her current state, she had forgotten that the man below her was completely unclothed, and she also had no idea what she was now doing to him. He just watched her as she regained her composure, a slight smile tilting up his features. When she squeeked and lay her her hands over her face as she realized that she was stradling him he laughed loudly. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him with a bright blush painted across her face. "Why are you laughing?" She asked a little irritably. He took a deep breath to calm himself and pulled her back down so he could press his lips to her's. Her irritation and anger at him for laughing was whiped from her mind, and she found herself running her hands through his hair as she found her lips being parted. Her body gave a little shiver as his tounge entered her mouth, and she shivered with delight, a moan escaping from her lips as her own tounge entered into the kiss. It had been so long since she had tasted him.

* * *

><p>If you asked Lucy later about how much time they spent together, she wouldn't be able to tell you with a clear memory. All she knew was that she was <em>happy<em>, and that _he_ was _happy_, and that was all that mattered. When she woke up later after that _long_ time in bed, she found out that she had been asleep for at least a whole day. The nicest way Vincent explained to Tifa and the blonde guy was that she hadn't had enough sleep after her ordeal. But she could tell that by the way Tifa and the bonde guy shot a look at each other, a flash in their eyes, that they didn't believe his lie for a second. _Yippie... What a great first impression that I have made..._ For the next few days of her recovery, she helped Tifa behind the bar, occasionally delivering drinks and whiping off tables. One day she hadn't been able to do anything, because Vincent had come back from doing a little job, and he wouldn't let her work. Even with Tifa backing her, the man would not relent, and that made her resent him until he left, and she was alone in the bed again. Not that that was a bad thing, necessarily.


End file.
